Silver Hearts
by SeagullandCroissant
Summary: When Remus Lupin finds an abandoned six-year-old Harry Potter at Kings Cross Station, he senses something is very, very off... (A Harry Potter AU)


_**A/N: Hello fellow readers!**_

 _ **Before we get things started I wanted say thanks to Man of Constant Sorrow for their review on the original first chapter of this story, Silver Hearts. Their review brought to my attention a very large plothole in the beginning of the fanfic that would have eventually jostled up the story later on. In the original first chapter, Harry was a little too willing to go with Remus out of the train station and after reviewing it again, I saw it just was not realistic and hypocritical, since it mentioned Harry knowing of "Stranger Danger" beforehand. If I had known I could just simply replace the first chapter with a few clicks I would've, but, my clumsy self deleted the story (**screams**) instead of thinking of replacing the chapter with an authors note. However, I hope this rewrite of the first chapter closes any plotholes that original chapter would've caused and the story continues smoothly and better paced from here on out.**_

 _ **Thanks again for the reviews and without any further adeu, let the magic begin!**_

The young boy was sitting on a bench in King's Cross, legs swinging. There was no mistaking him, with James's untamable dark hair and Lily's emerald green eyes. But the Muggles didn't notice him as they hurried by. Only Remus Lupin, former friend of the Potters, saw him and knew _exactly_ who he was. Where the Dursleys were without Harry, Remus didn't know. For the past hour, he'd been watching Harry Potter from behind a large pillar on Platform Nine, determined to stay hidden.

But it seemed he had no choice now but to reveal himself as the clock neared it's next hour chime, bringing the platform closer to closing time. He waved his wand, changing his shabby threadbare coat into a station guard uniform, the navy and golden buttons glimmering in the lamplight. Stepping out from behind the platform, he walked over to the small boy sitting patiently alone on the worn bench.

"Hello," he said cheerfully, tipping his brimmed hat with a warm smile.

Harry looked up at him, eyes growing wide.

"Hi."

"What's your name?"

"Harry."

"Where are your parents, Harry?" Remus asked, although already knew the answer to this question and he fought to keep his voice steady.

Harry hesitated before replying, "My aunt and uncle took my cousin on a train ride. They said they'd be back, and told me to wait here."

Remus frowned, creases forming around his mouth and thin mustache, "How long have they been gone?"

"They left on the first train this morning."

Puzzled, Remus looked up at the far wall. It was now six o'clock in the afternoon and the last train was about to arrive at the station behind them, casting steam onto the nearly empty platform.

"Well, the station's about to close. Mind if I take you to the office until they get here?"

Harry shook his head and slid off the bench, following Remus towards the station office in front of the station. Suddenly, a large crowd of people from the newly arrived swarmed onto the platform, bustling and buzzing to find each other and their bags. Overwhelmed at the size of the crowd, Harry, out of instinct, grabbed a hold of Remus's hand and Remus started at the touch, surprised. However, after a moment, the man relaxed, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the child's small, chubby hand.

Remus knew the boy had to be only six or seven, several years passing since... well since _all that_ , had happened. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked down on the boy, observing his oversized shirt and ill-fitting trousers and shoes with growing distaste. It was clear something was very off about how Harry was dressed in unwanted hand-me-downs and thrift store deals. It seemed like whoever picked out his clothes didn't care about what the boy wore, as long as it was the cheapest article of clothing they could find. Even though it was only six in the evening, the night air was setting in fast and Harry couldn't help but shiver at the wind blowing against his back, his threadbare tee and loose shorts offering him no warmth against the night.

When they reached the office, however, it was closed. The last train had left for the evening, and there was no reason for the employees to remain in the office, selling tickets rather hastily, it seemed.

After staring at the silver grate over the ticket window, Harry looked up at Remus uncertainly, "What do we do now?"

"Um... tell you what," Remus turned back to Harry, "Let us go back to the platform and wait for your aunt and uncle. If they left on that train early this morning, they're bound to be coming back any minute. We will wait for them there, okay?"

"Okay," Harry replied softly, looking back down the way they'd came.

There wasn't a crowd anymore by the time Remus and Harry got back to platform nine so Harry in turn, kept a short distance from Remus, not bothering to hold his hand again. Upon seeing the opposite side of the platform still without a train, the pair took a seat on the nearest bench, settling down against the cold dark metal. Harry shivered on contact with the icy steel, rubbing a hand over his exposed arms.

"Would you like my jacket, Harry?" Remus asked after a bout of nothing but whistling wind.

Harry looked up at him, his emerald eyes shimmering. He could tell that a battle was raging in the boy's mind; he had no doubt received the "Stranger Danger" talk many times at school. Harry knew all too well strangers were not supposed to be this kind, this giving or even, somehow, this familiar.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry looked back at Remus, offering a polite smile, "No thank you, Mister."

"Please, just call me Remus."

"Okay, Mr. Remus." Harry said in a quiet voice, eyes looking back over the empty platform. Remus did not press the boy to talk any longer, not wishing to frighten the young Harry Potter any more than he probably already was.

Time passed and before long, three figures made their way slowly down Platform Nine, the sound of their shoes echoing against the pavement. Remus observed the trio as they came closer. A man, woman and a rather large child strolled down the cement pathway, tense and alert. The woman was tall and thin, her face pale, gaunt and framed by short, dark hair. The man across from her was the opposite: short, wide and had a purple tint to his face, the thinning hair clinging to his forehead with a layer of sweat. The boy, about as round as the father, looked rather annoyed at the platform full of still, quiet trains and licked a large, cherry-red lollipop as he went.

"Look, Harry." Remus murmured, tapping the boys shoulder, " Is that your aunt and uncle coming this way?"

"Yes," Harry responded, in an almost withering voice, "That's them."

Trying to push away the wistfulness in Harry's voice just chance, Lupin helped Harry off the bench and towards the small family lumbering family. Upon seeing Harry with this regal looking man, the man and woman stopped dead in their tracks, before the woman gave a sharp gasp, a thin smile stretching across her face.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia..."

"Harry!" The woman cried, rushing forward and grabbing a hold of Harry's hand, "Where have you been? We were worried sick, _weren't we, Vernon?"_

 _"Yes,"_ the man behind her replied, his purple face screwing up to form a crooked smile, "real worried, Petunia."

The woman pulled Harry into a hug but Harry, flinching, didn't hug her back. He looked up at Remus, who was staring, stone faced, at the man he called Uncle.

"I found him sitting on platform nine," Remus informed, voice stern, "alone, as a matter of fact."

"Nonsense!" Petunia cried, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes, "We were here the whole time! We just went to the loo and Harry wondered off. Didn't you, Harry?"

Harry, face turning a shade paler than it already was, looked between his aunt and the guard, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Remus stepped in first.

"He told me he's been alone since the first train this morning."

"Oh, Harry," Vernon tisked, placing a heavy, stubby hand on the boys shoulder, "Lying to strangers, again?" He looked up at Remus, offering an apologetic smile, "You have to excuse our nephew! Always making up things, telling stories... You know how kids are these days."

 _"Mummy!"_ The chubby boy shouted from behind the two adults, face sticky from his eaten candy, "I'm hungry! I wanna' go home _now!"_

Petunia, pinching the edge of his chubby cheeks, smiled at him, "Of course, sweetums, we've all had a long day today and had a fun train ride with Harry!"

Momentarily, the boy looked confused but then shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his lollipop, the hard candy almost to the stick.

Uncle Vernon, face still screwed up in a thin smile, held out a hand to Remus, "Thanks again for keeping an eye on our nephew. He's a scamp sometimes. Always wondering off..."

Remus, still bristled about the whole ordeal, took Vernon Dusleys hand firmly in his grasp, squeezing hard, "You're welcome."

After getting his hand out of Remus' deathlike grip, Vernon turned to the group, ushering them out of the door with a wave of his large arm. With his hand caught tight in Petunia's steely grip, Harry could only give Remus a look over his shoulder, mouthing a unmistakably 'goodbye' as they walked away. Remus lifted his hand, waving to Harry and mouthing his own, soft 'goodbye' as he rounded the corner.

He recognized the look in Harry's eyes immediately- something he'd seen hundreds of times on countless faces.

Desperately concealed fear - like a lamb being lead to slaughter.

Ducking behind a pillar as soon as the quartet was out of earshot, Remus Lupin breathed hard, waving his wand over his head to change back to his plaid coat and trousers, straightening his tie as he walked towards the edge of the station.

 _Something is wrong,_ Was the only thought that jumped out of Remus' racing mind as he stepped off the platform and Disappearated into thin air with a sharp, loud pop, _Something is terribly, terribly wrong..._


End file.
